THE
ITALIAN TIMES Published by the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, WI 53202-5916 www.ICCMilwaukee.com VOL. 34, NO. 2 SECTION B JULY/AUGUST 2012
Spectacular Bartolotta fireworks each night at Festa; biggest show is Friday, July 20 By Thomas Hemman Times Editor Since its beginning in 1978, Milwaukee’s Festa Italiana has been known for its spectacular nightly fireworks shows. Festa officials are promising a continuation of that tradition this year. With one difference. The show on Friday, July 20 will be bigger than all the rest. The Friday night show will feature more than 1,500 aerial shells and salutes, and a ground bombardment incorporating about 3,000 shells. This year, as has been the case every year since Festa’s beginning, the responsibility for the nightly pyrotechnics productions has been placed in the hands of the Bartolotta Fireworks Company of Genesee Depot, Wis. Shows will be presented at 10:15 p.m. each night – Thursday, July 19 through Sunday, July 22. Jeff Bartolotta, who with his brother, Jim, owns the company, promised that Festa patrons will be treated to “good old-fashioned Italian fireworks.” That means that while the sky will be ablaze with color, the emphasis will be on noise – both in the air and on the ground. “You’ll be able to ‘feel’ these fireworks,” Bartolotta emphasized. While some shells used in the
show were made at the Bartolotta plant in Waukesha County, the vast majority of those to be fired have been imported from China. Bartolotta said his company will be debuting a new shell this year at Festa called a “wind bell.” While it’s difficult to explain wind bells, he said, “they’re real cool looking and they float in the sky longer than most shells and we’re getting them in the Italian colors – green, white and red – for Festa.” It usually takes about 20 people to set up and fire a Festa fireworks show. When the company was founded in 1977 by the late Sam Bartolotta, and in its early years, the Bartolottas did three or four shows a year. However, their reputation grew as word spread about the quality of the shows they produced for Festa Italiana. Today, Bartolotta Fireworks Company produces more than 500 shows a year, including the 4th of July shows in Milwaukee County parks along with several of the biggest event-related shows in the state. Summerfest’s “Big Bang” is among Bartolotta’s most prominent shows in 2012. As one might expect, the 3rd and 4th of July are the busiest days of the year for the Bartolottas. On July 3rd and on Independence Day, Please turn to page 2B
‘The Bug Whisperer’ comes to Festa’s Children’s Stage By Ginny Balistreri Most people call an exterminator when they find bugs. Antonio Gustin puts them in his act. The 43-year-old entomologist will be sharing his love of all things icky with children of every age when he brings his widely popular bug show, Tony’s Creepy Crawly Zoo, to
the Festa Children’s Stage, July 20, 21 and 22. The show promises to fascinate audiences and to change pre-conceived notions that anything you’d want to stomp on can be hilariously fun, interesting and educational. Gustin, the son of ICC directorat-large Peter Gustin and his wife,
A youngster gets a close-up look at one of Antonio Gustin’s “Creepy Crawlers.” (Photo provided by Antonio Gustin)
Millie, has been entertaining and educating audiences around the country for 15 years. Also known as the “Bug Whisperer,” the 1995 UW-Madison graduate became fascinated with the bug world as a child, but set his interests aside until he was forced to fill in his university class schedule with one more class. He saw a description of an entomology course and figured he could ace it because of his childhood knowledge of bugs. He entered the class and was hooked. “My professor was a riot,” he explained, “and he made the subject so interesting and fun, I changed my major.” When he neared graduation, Gustin and several friends contemplated their futures over beers at a local pub. Gustin remembers telling his fellow entomologists, “Wouldn’t it be fun if we could talk about bugs and get paid for it?” He began to realize that dream while developing an outline of a business plan for a local pet store. Gustin got the idea to bring a variety of interesting bugs to audiences of youngsters and teach them to love and respect the bug world. He Please turn to page 3B
Dentro a queste pagine (Inside these pages) Festa’s VIP Day becomes a Friday event page 2B MCTS offers hsssle-free ride options to Festa page 2B Children’s Stage lineup announced page 3B Singers wanted for ‘Italian Idol’ contest
page 4B
Calendar of events
page 5B
Courtyard Music Series for July and August pages 6B-9B ICC has tickets for ‘Italian Heritage Day’ game page 10B Nov. 24 musical show announced page 10B Election Committee chosen to prepare slate page 11B By-laws revisions proposed
page 11B
Henry Piano cooks feast for worthy cause pages 12B-13B Fall semester of Italian classes announced page 14B Members’ news
pages 16B-18B
Society & club news
page 20B